Cleveland Browns Sign QB Josh McCown to a 3-year Deal

By Cheri Cheng - 27 Feb '15 23:11PM

The Cleveland Browns have signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to a three-year deal, the team officially announced Friday.

"Josh is your consummate professional. He's known to be a great guy in the locker room and will be great for the quarterback room. He knows how to get an entire offense on the same page and get a team to rally behind him. He has been exposed to a lot of different types of offenses and we think still has the drive and skill set to be a successful quarterback in this league," Cleveland general manager Ray Farmer said.

"We are excited to get him and believe he will help continue to move us in the right direction and help us build the type of team that will bring winning football to Cleveland."

McCown, 35, started for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season and went 1-10. He completed 184 of 327 passes for 2,206 yards and recorded 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. McCown had a better season in 2013 when he recorded 13 touchdowns and just one interception while filling in for Jay Cutler with the Chicago Bears.

"Josh is a high-character, savvy, veteran quarterback that has a lot to offer to our team," head coach Mike Pettine said. "When you hear from people that have been around Josh, they speak of the leadership qualities and the positive impact he has on a locker room. I really enjoyed spending time with him during his visit. He has great passion for playing the quarterback position and wants to show that he can still be successful in this league.

McCown was released on Feb. 11 and reportedly met with the Bills, Jets, Bears and Browns. His final negotiations were with the Bills and Browns. The veteran has been in the league for 12 years and has played for the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Panthers and Bears.

"I just want to serve our team and help everybody in that locker room, do my best to help everybody in the locker room be better at their job and they're going to help me, too. It's a two-way street," McCown said. "I'm just excited about coming in and being a part of a team."

The addition of a veteran quarterback could mean that the Browns will not resign Brian Hoyer, who will enter free agency on March 10. Johnny Manziel's role could also be in jeopardy although many believe that McCown's leadership abilities could help Manziel.